Selby 14 - 10 Pocklington
The Panthers went
down at Selby where both sides scored two tries in a well contested game that
was a pleasure to both play in and watch.
The Panthers started strongly, only
to miss an early kickable penalty. But they pressed again from the restart and
this time got their just rewards with the forwards driving 20 metres for a tenth
minute try, Andy Holloway the scorer. Another spell of Panthers' pressure saw
them quickly take a tap penalty from just five metres out and Tim Drew squirmed
over the line.
The Panthers continued to attack, but good Selby defence kept
them at bay. Play developed into a midfield battle as each side tried to gain
ascendancy, before a Panthers' error in centre field saw Selby grab an opportunist
touchdown to end the first half at 10-7 in the Panthers' favour.
The second
half saw the two sides lock horns once more, with first the forwards having a
go and then the backs. But neither side could break down their opponent's determined
tackling until Selby somehow found another hole in the Pocklington defence and
added a second converted try. The Panthers camped in Selby territory for most
of the final quarter, but again they were unable to turn pressure into points.
Though
disappointed to lose for the first time this season having done more of the attacking,
the Panthers can nevertheless take several positives from the game, in particular
from the promising displays of several new young players who were making their
first starts in senior rugby,